


Turn and Face the Strange

by UrbanCuntemporary



Series: Changes [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Kidnapping, Slow Burn, murder mention, references out the ass like damn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-01 09:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8618560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrbanCuntemporary/pseuds/UrbanCuntemporary
Summary: Iris is working on a story that could be huge, maybe her biggest yet. But she needs doesn't have enough information, she needs the inside scoop. Undercover, well, that isn't something she's too familiar with, so she phones in Cisco Ramon to go with her. Which is fine, but the catch is: They have to go under as a couple. Shouldn't be weird, right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Step 1: Convince your new friend to do some crazy shit with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super excited to finally have this out. Tell me what you think in the comments. Low-key dedicated to Callie and Harmony, who had to put up with me prematurely sending them edits and spoiling the whole thing.

 

Iris jolted as a stack of papers landed on her keyboard. 

 

"West, you know I need more than this," Scott said. 

 

"What do you mean 'more'?” she said, picking up the top page. "There are like, a bunch of sources here. I’ve even made connections to past occurrences. All of them saying the same thing: There's something going on at this inn. That should be enough to at least get my foot in the door."

 

He put his hands on his hips."All of those sources are either anonymous or non-credible. This sounds like a ghost story. So, I need more journalist, less Edgar Allan Poe. You want me to even consider running this, you give me more." He turned to head back to his office, but paused to call over his shoulder, "Or else I'm gonna put you on the Arrow piece."

 

Iris groaned. The Arrow story was Scott's vigilante vendetta rearing its ugly head again. He wanted to make connections between the Green Arrow the Flash, along with the surge of vigilantes since them, and why it's a "trend and not a revolution". 

 

She flipped through her research, and sighed. Maybe Scott was right. She didn't have enough evidence to run this story without it looking like a piece from Weekly World News. She needed more. She needed tangible evidence. 

 

She tapped her pen against the desk. Maybe she needed inside. 

 

"Hey, Scott," she said, walking into his office. "What if I get a little more hands on? Get inside the inn."

 

He quirked a brow. "You're talking about undercover." He shook his head, chuckling. "You're too green for that, West." 

 

She bristled."Well, there's a first time for everything," she said. "Come on, Scott. I know this story has bones, I can feel it." 

 

“What kind of boss would I look like, letting you go under, first time, by yourself? Not happening.” 

 

She winced, then bit the bullet. “What if I get someone to come with me? Someone to help me with surveillance.”

 

He looked thoughtful. “Someone reliable.”

 

“Of course.” 

 

He looked her for a moment, then sighed. "You're a good reporter, Iris, I'll give you that. Some of our best pieces come from you." She smiled. "But, you're asking me to let you use company time to chase a case that might not be anything." He paused, and her stomach clenched. "I'll give you a few days." 

 

She let out a breath. 

 

"A month." And that was pushing it, but Negotiation 101: Overshoot. 

 

"Two weeks. Final offer. And If you don't deliver, I'm putting you on the Arrow piece, and whatever story I choose for the rest of the year. Are we clear?"

 

She took a deep breath, and smiled. "Crystal." 

 

When she got back to her desk, she closed her eyes. She could do this. Iris West, she was Iris West.

 

She ran a hand through her hair. Two weeks, it was barely anything. She was going in blind, she had no idea what she was actually looking for. She needed equipment, a plan. And apparently, a babysitter. 

 

She bit her lip. Maybe she could use this to her advantage. She needed tech, _good_ tech that would grant her top surveillance at the inn. And she needed someone who knew how to use it. 

 

She paused, considered. “Okay,” she nodded.”He'll do."

 

* * *

 

 Cisco made a frustrated noise and scrapped the page from his notebook. He tapped his pencil to the new page.

 

Apparently, making a supersuit for himself wasn’t as easy as making them for other people. He wasn’t sure what the hell that was about. Shoes shouldn't be this difficult. With Barry it had been just, boots, done. But nothing he sketched for himself looked right.

 

Although,  _maybe_ he could add a vest. He could pull off a vest.

 

He heard the click of high-heels behind him and sighed. “Caitlin, I know you want to help,” he swiveled in his chair, “But I don’t think you—Oh.”

 

Iris gave a little wave. “Sorry to disappoint.”

 

He shook his head. “Not at all. I could use a distraction. What brings you by?”

 

She clapped her hands together. “I need your expertise.”

 

“You’re gonna need to be more specific,” he said. “ I’m an expert at a lot of things.”

 

She took a breath. “Are you busy next week? I wanted to ask you for your help on a story I'm working on.”

 

“Oh yeah? What’s it about?” He motioned for her to sit, and grimaced when she had to swipe crumpled papers from the chair before she could.

 

“Okay, so for the past few weeks I’ve been getting these hits on my blog” And he must have looked surprised, because she said, “I’ve been keeping it running. A lot of people like to use it as a form of contact when there’s something they think I should investigate. It helps me keep my ear to the ground about strange happenings in the city.”

 

“Huh. Smart.”

 

She smiled. “I’ve had a few messages about some strange occurrences surrounding an inn down by the edge of town. Ever heard of The Lethe?”

 

“No," he snorted. "But that’s a pretentious name.”

 

“Yeah, I know. But I did some digging on it; there’ve been a few reports of people checking in and not checking out.”

 

“Why didn’t the police get involved?”

 

“I don’t think they could, really. There wasn’t any evidence that they were ever there, let alone kidnapped.”

 

“But,” she said before he could respond, “I got a lead. Last week. An anonymous message. They said it was pertaining to the case and that they needed to meet me, alone, in the alley behind CCPN.”

 

“That’s. So shady,” he laughed. “But you didn’t go.”

 

She stared at him, and his smile faded. “Iris.”

 

“I weighed it. It was a risk I was willing to take.”

 

“A risk you were—Iris. Stranger Danger.”

 

“Oh, please,” she rolled her eyes, “I brought protection. And it ended up being fine anyway. Turns out, my contact was a cleaning lady at the inn. She was able to corroborate a lot of what people were saying.”

 

She took out her phone, pressed the screen a few times, and dropped it—quite carelessly—into his lap. “From info she gave me about the inn I decided to go even deeper. All of the disappeared fit the same description: young, poor, unattached.”

 

He looked down at the phone. No names to the missing, but there were accounts that described them as she said. But no concrete evidence that they’d actually been at the inn, aside from witnesses too afraid to lose their anonymity.

 

“Damn,” he breathed. “Well, what would you need me for? Tech? My,” he wiggled his fingers, “vibing.”

 

 She wrinkled her nose and he flushed. “That. That came out not how I wanted?”

 

She took pity on him. “Yes, I need tech and your vibing abilities.”

 

“Done.”

 

“And I need you to go undercover with me as my boyfriend.”

 

He paused. “What?”

 

“What?”

 

“Your. Your boyfriend?”

 

“Pretend,” she nodded.

 

He blinked a few times. “Why? You—Why?

 

She leaned back. “Well, there’s not much else I can find out about this place unless I’m inside. And _you_ can only vibe the place if you’re inside. And _we_ need a reason to be in such close contact with each other,” she shrugged. “Plus, physically, we fit the bill.”

 

“And so we’d be…”

 

“Star-crossed lovers, running from their disapproving parents to start new lives in Central City.” She giggled. “Just thought of that last part.”

 

She said it like it was an obvious course of action. And maybe it was? He couldn’t think of anything to discredit her idea.

 

“What about brother and sister?”

 

Her mouth twitched. “You think we could be siblings.”

 

“Yeah, okay, like as soon as I said it even….”

 

Then he met her eyes. “And you’re going either way.”

 

She gave him a look. 

 

He scratched the bridge of his nose. This was fine. It’d be fine. Iris needed his help. They’d Scooby Gang this thing—the non-Buffy kind— and that’d be it. Save people, all that. No big deal. They probably wouldn’t even have to be that lovey dovey. They probably wouldn’t even be there long.

 

“Okay.”

 

She lit up. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah I’ll..be your boyfriend or whatever.”

 

And, fine. The way Iris was smiling at him made him a little more sure.

 

* * *

 

“Okay I have a question.” Cisco said over his mug.

 

She was thanking him with a Jitters fix. Well, it was mostly a thank you, but also because his lab was in paper ruins and he clearly needed a breather.

 

“Shoot,” she said.

 

“Why me? Why do you want me to go undercover with you?”

 

“I told you why.”

 

“I just mean…what about Barry?”

 

“What about him?”

 

“He does forensics. And you two…” He didn’t seem to know how to finish that. 

 

“If I wanted Barry’s help I wouldn’t have asked for yours,” she said, meeting his eyes steadily.

 

He eased back. “Okay.”

 

“And,” she said, “maybe keep this between us?”

 

He frowned “You wanna lie to the team?”

 

“No!” she said, so quickly that he jolted. Then, softer, “No. Not lie. Just, you don’t have to disclose all of the details. You know, just say you’re gonna be gone for a bit. Play it cool.”

 

He still looked skeptical so she sighed and added, “It’s—just. This isn’t supposed to be a Team Flash thing.

 

“It’s a Journalist Iris West thing.”

 

She let out a breath. “Right.”

 

He considered her, and there was something deeper in his eyes. Understanding. “Alright,” he said. Then he perked up. “So! ‘Covert’. Your show, how’d’you wanna play it?”

 

“We’ll need aliases.”

 

“O-ho, now you’re talkin’. Whatcha got?”

 

She grinned, “Okay, so for me I was thinking like,” she held up her hands framing, “Daisy East.”

 

He stared at her. “I mean, it’s….an option. ” His mouth ticked like he wanted to say something else, but he took another sip of his coffee. 

 

“It’s cute!”

 

“Mhm.”

 

She crossed her arms. “Well, _Vibe_ , you’re so good with names, why don’t you pick?”

 

“I don’t think I could come up with something better than Daisy East,” he sighed, but he was already sitting up straighter and rolling his shoulders. “Though, if you insist.”

 

He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his mouth wobbled until a small smile cracked his face. His breath hitched once. Twice. He took a deep breath. 

 

Then he burst out laughing.

 

She sighed.

 

“Iris.” _hiccup_ “Iris I’m really sorry b-but” _hiccup_ “Daisy East.”

 

“It’s not that bad!” she said. “It’s clever, even.”

 

“Daisy East sounds like the protagonist in a—” he wheezed “—in a YA dystopian novel.”

 

She bit her lip. Okay, he had her there.

 

He took a few measured breaths and started to settle down.

 

“Finished?”

 

“Yeah, I think so.” He let out a puff of air. “Okay. So sorry,” he said. And he was still smiling slightly, but his words were sincere. “Back to your alias, here we go.” He cleared his throat and leaned forward. He studied her for a moment, then said, “Irene Wilson," with a resolute nod. "Cause you know, it sounds like your name, so we don’t get too confused. But it’s like, totally different.” He held up his hands, copying her earlier pose. “Irene Wilson. Aspiring novelist.”

 

“That’s….actually not bad,” she nodded.“Wait. Aspiring novelist?”

 

He shrugged. “It adds depth to the character.”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“I was thinking I could be like. Like a contemporary metal sculptor.”

 

She snorted. “Okay, but what’s your name?”

 

He frowned. “Um.” His face scrunched. “Wait I got this.”

 

“What about Frankie?” she mused. “I mean, it’s Fs, but. Frankie…Ramos.”

 

He squinted at her, and she couldn’t tell whether he thought it was bad or if he was just upset that she’d picked a name before him. “That’s…I like it.”

 

She narrowed her eyes. “You do?”

 

“Yeah.” He sat back with an easy smile. “Frankie Ramos. Contemporary metal sculptor.”

 

Iris cringed. “That's too _much_ , though. What about med student?”

 

“Med student turned contemporary metal sculptor?” He put his hand out to shake.

 

She took it. “Deal.”

 

Irene and Frankie. Frankie and Irene. Those names could go on a Christmas card.

_____

 

“This isn’t gonna be weird, right?” Iris said, pausing as they made their way along the sidewalk. 

 

“'This' being the pretend relationship thing?”

 

She smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t really stop to think about it much before? When I started planning it was just another moving part. A necessary step. I just wanna make sure you’re really okay with this. I don’t want things to get weird between us. You know? Not when we just started really becoming friends.”

 

“Nah. I mean, okay, yeah it’ll be kind of weird. But we’ll probably be so focused on the job it won’t even really register.” He shrugged. “Plus, people may need a-savin’. Not just up to Barry right?”

 

She nodded. “Right.”

 

“And you said we're friends, right?”

 

She smiled. “Yeah we are. Iris and Cisco are friends. That’s good,” she nodded. “Frankie and Irene are into each other. Iris and Cisco are not.”

 

He tucked his hair back behind his ears.“Yup,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “And as your friend, Cisco, I’m not gonna let you go to some Murder Mansion by yourself.” He snapped his fingers. “That’s a good name. You should use that when you type it up.”

 

She scoffed. “I’m not calling it a Murder Mansion.”

 

“Come on.”

 

“ _No._ ”

 

“Sleep on it?”

 

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Yeah, I’ll sleep on it.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are too many damn people in the hallway, and Iris and Cisco make a plan.

So he ended up lying. Iris told him he didn't have to. And he definitely didn't _want_ to, but  _apparently,_ Cisco Ramon can't go anywhere without there being some huge dealio about _where_ he’s going and _who_ he’s with. So he told everyone he’d be in Star City helping Laurel build her own HQ. Which meant he’d probably have to rope Laurel into it, because of the inevitability of Caitlin and/or Harry checking up on him. 

 

“I could run you down there if you want?” Barry offered, wincing around a protein brick. 

 

“That’s a really sweet offer, buddy, _but…_ windswept is only cute after like, the 2nd mile. By the 600th, it’s a little excessive,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. 

 

Barry ripped off a piece of his brick and chucked it at him. “Man, you’re gonna be in Star City, Iris told me that Scott is sending her to Keystone for some weird fluff piece. What am I supposed to do without you guys?”

 

“Besides save the city and go to your _job_ that you’re-” Cisco glanced at his watch “-about to be late for?” 

 

“Yeah, besides that,” Barry nodded. 

 

“Why don’t you hang out with Wally?” He said, pulling the blueprints to The Lethe Iris sent him up on his tablet. He was supposed to be meeting her at her apartment to go over the plan. 

 

Barry lit up. “Wally!” He said the name as if he hadn’t heard it in 50 years. 

 

Cisco chuckled and tucked the tablet to his chest.

 

“Yeah, dude, _Wally._ I’m sure you two can find something to nerd on about,” he called over his shoulder, strolling into the hallway.

 

And he made it all of two steps out before nearly fusing with Harry. 

 

“Ramon,” he greeted slanting his eyes down at him. 

 

Cisco sighed. “You know, I think we need to get a bell for you, buddy. Excuse me,” he said pushing past him. 

 

He heard Harry trailing behind him. “Star City, huh? That doesn’t seem like a one-man job.” 

 

Cisco closed his eyes. Suspicious bastard. 

 

He turned around. “Not like I haven’t done it before. I practically built the newest Arrowcave myself.”

 

Harry crossed his arms. “And this, Laurel Lance? She works with the Arrow. She's just...branching out on her own?”

 

“Yeah. Sometimes people need to do that.” 

 

Harry opened his mouth to say somethingelse when the elevator dinged. 

 

“…st time you ask me for help finding a car and it’s this shit mobile you choose,” Wally was saying as he emerged, Iris in tow. “Do you know the connections I have? I could hook you up with a _really_ sweet ride.”

 

“I don’t need a _really_ sweet ride, Wally,” she sighed, “ _This_ is the car I need.” 

 

“Why though? This,” he snatched what looked like a car key from her hand, “this is embarrassing.”

 

She held her hand out, “Give it back.”

 

“Just tell me why this car is so important.”

 

“ _Wally,_ ” she warned. 

 

“ _Iris,”_ he mimicked. 

 

Barry chose that moment to come out of the Cortex. “Why’s everyone—Wally!”

 

“Barry…” he said slowly.

 

"Hey, Bar," Iris said. 

 

"Oh, hey, Iris!" Barry waved. 

 

“ _Cisco,_ ” Cisco muttered. 

 

Iris snatched the key from Wally. 

 

“Iris-“ Wally started.

 

“Okay, _what_ is this?” Cisco said. "Barry, you're late for work, bud." 

 

“Right, sh— “ and he was gone in a gust of wind. 

 

“Whatever,” Wally said, rolling his eyes. “Sis, let me know when you’ve come to your senses.” He pivoted on his heel and headed down the hallway to some unknown destination. 

 

“Thank you, Wally,” she called after him.

 

Harry took off his glasses. “Don’t you have a car, Miss West?”

 

Iris hesitated. 

 

“Would this be for your trip out of town, as well?” he continued, "Now  _that_ is a quite the coincidence."

 

“You don’t have to answer that,” Cisco cut in. “I would actually love to see how this new car drives, you know how I am about, uh. Engines? Shall we?” He gave her a look and she caught on. 

 

“Y-yes, of course! Let’s go.” She grabbed Cisco’s arm and together they awkwardly half ran to the elevator.

 

“We’ll talk later, Ramon!” Harry called after them.

 

“Sure, pal!” Cisco yelled back just before the elevator doors closed.

 

* * *

 

 Okay, so the car drove like shit. Like Wally said it would. And Cisco wasn't afraid to tell her so, all throughout the car ride. And at her apartment. Every five minutes. 

 

“Look we have to look the part, alright?” she groaned after what seemed like 50th time he complained. “What, do you wanna roll up to this place in a Star Labs company van?

 

“Hate to quote Sir Dick, but you _do_ have a car.”

 

“Still feels too risky,” she said. “We can’t have anything that could possibly trace back to our identities. Remember this inn has been shifty for a while, this can't be the first time they've been investigated.”

 

“Well, as long as we don’t die in it,” he mumbled. He looked around. “I can’t believe I’ve never been to your apartment. S’nice.”

 

“Thanks,” she said. “It….it was Eddie’s.” 

 

“Oh,” he said softly. He seemed unsure of how to navigate this. “Um. Is it hard? Living here, then?”

 

She leaned back on her heels. “You know, you’d think it would be. And it was at first. But sometimes I find myself forgetting,” she sighed. “I forget he lived here, god that sounds awful.” 

 

“No, no, no,” he said quickly, and she could hear the couch shift as he sat up. “I get it. Probably makes it easier.”

 

“It does,” she nodded. She cleared her throat. “Harry suspects something.”

 

“Harry Wells? Suspecting something? That can't be right," he said with feigned shock. Then, he chuckled. “He’s like the survivalist uncle that always comes to Thanksgiving even when he isn’t invited. And then he spends the entire dinner talking about how he thinks someone is stealing his mail.” He shook his head. “I’ll make sure he stays off our backs until we leave.” 

 

“Okay, good,” she breathed. Harry was unpredictable, and as much as he acted like he was Above It All, he was a bit of a diva. If he found out about their investigation he might make a big deal out of it just for the theatrics. 

 

She settled next to him on the couch. “You got the blueprints, right?”

 

“Oh yeah,” he said, pulling a tablet from a bag she hadn’t noticed he'd brought. “Four stories. Victorian,” he chuckled. “White people and their old ass buildings.” 

 

“God, I know,” she shook her head. “I figure if we hole up at the top, it'll make surveillance easier. Which reminds me, I was hoping you could get ahold of some cameras from CCPD?”

 

He shrugged. “It’s fine, I have my own.”

 

She gave him a look and he flushed. “Not…for anything _weird._ ” 

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Okay, for your information _Iris,_ someone has been stealing my lollipops. And I’m gonna catch them.” 

 

“Stealing your—are you twelve?”

 

“They’re important to me!”

 

“Oh, I hadn’t noticed.” 

 

“Look, you don’t get to judge me, you _brownie fiend_.”

 

Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

 

“Yeah, I know about that time you stuffed all of the brownie bites in your purse at the CC Journalism Convention.”

 

She gaped at him. Barry swore he'd never breath a word of that. 

 

“Whatever,” she said, ignoring his smirk. “Alright, I think we’ve got everything in place.” She sighed, “We gotta figure out what’s happening to these kids, Cisco.”

 

“We will,” he said gently. 

 

He slapped his knees and stood up. “Okay! I’m gonna go. We gotta get an early start tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, be ready when I come get you.”

 

“Yeah, in the Death Machine.”

 

“Oh, shut up,” she scoffed. “It’ll get us there.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, walking to the door. Then stopped. “Wait. Are we gonna stop for snacks?”

 

“It’s like a 20 minute drive.” He pouted. “Ugh, fine.”

 

“Sweet.” He grabbed the door handle. Then stopped. “Um.” 

 

“What? What is it now?” she groaned. 

 

“You drove me here.” 

 

“Oh! Of course, sorry.” She grabbed her keys from the coffee table and followed him out. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco and Iris' first day at the inn. Lil creepy...lil awkward.

The car ended up driving just fine for the trip, _thankyouverymuch_. And, okay, that was actually thanks to Wally. He barged into her apartment at 4am demanding she let him 'at least fix the engine, Iris, goddamn'.

 

Cisco called dibs on driving because he didn’t trust her to _actually_ stop for snacks. Which meant she got free reign over the music, and she took full advantage. She’d spent a good hour last night carefully constructing a playlist that was tailor made to get them in the proper mindset. 

 

“This entire mix is Beyonce,” Cisco said after the 8th song.

 

She stopped mid gyration. “And?” 

 

“And nothing, I’m digging it,” he said before turning the volume up to sing the chorus of "Upgrade U"

 

She smiled and joined in. 

_____

 

“So….this is the place.”

 

“This is it," Iris nodded. "It’s—”

 

“Creepy.”

 

“Well, it’s—”

 

“I’m talkin’ major redrum vibes goin’ on here.”

 

She let out a breathless laugh, pulling her door handle. “Get out of the car, Cisco.”

 

She wasn’t expecting the place to be this big, practically a mansion. Being victorian, it was likely old as hell. It had columns and a huge turret on the roof that was probably once an attic. But it was well kept, recently painted.

 

It could have been quaint. But looking at it all she could think of was the goddamn Shining _,_ thank you, Cisco. 

 

She paused in front of the entrance.

 

“Here,” she said, sticking her hand out toward him. 

 

He stared at it.

 

She wiggled her fingers. “My hand.”

 

“It’s a nice hand…”

 

“Thank you. Now, hold it. We’re a couple.”

 

“Hold—oh! Right. Right.”

 

He laced their fingers together, then stared at them.“Your hands are like, stupid soft.”

 

She had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. “Boy, let’s go,” she said, pulling open the front door.

 

* * *

 

 Cisco let out a groan. 

 

“I’m gonna ding it.”

 

“Don’t ding it.”

 

“ _Why_?”   he whined, staring longingly at the call bell at the front desk.

 

Iris rolled her eyes. “Will you just be patient. It’ll be—“

 

“Hell-o, you two!” Came a new voice.

 

“A second,” she finished.

 

Coming to stand behind the desk was an older blonde woman. She smiled brightly. “Welcome to the Lethe Inn! My name is Stephanie, what can I do to make you— _forget—_ about your troubles?”

 

Cisco bit his tongue. He didn't think this place could get farther up its own ass. 

 

But Iris smiled back. “Hi, I’m Irene. This is Frankie. We were hoping to get one of your,” she raised their joined hands, “special couples rooms.”

 

“Irene and Frankie,” Stephanie repeated. “How novel. Well, we have just the thing. How long do you intend to stay?”

 

“Just until we can find a place in the city. We’re kind of…”Iris feigned a sad sigh, “trying to start fresh.”

 

Stephanie seemed to perk up at that. 

 

There was something off about this woman. Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the inn, but she was giving off some serious Stepford vibes. And she had these empty, soul-sucking eyes, like a doll. They made his hair stand on end. 

 

“Well, feel free to stay as long as you like,” she grinned.She reached under the desk and came up with a clipboard and pen.“I just need one of you to sign in here.”

 

Cisco made a grab for the pen, and his world shifted to blue. He frowned. Stephanie stood in the same spot, only she was wearing different clothes. But in Iris’ place was a young girl. Her face was partially obscured by a Diamonds baseball cap, but she couldn’t have been older than sixteen. She wore an oversized purple sweater, and her face was downcast—

 

“—ankie?” The girl flickered before she was gone completely, leaving him blinking at Iris under harsh fluorescent lights of the lobby. She arched a brow at him. 

 

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, what?”

 

She held up a room key. “Room 402, _honey._ "

 

* * *

 

Iris dropped her bag on the dresser and scanned the room. She grimaced. It looked like it had been decorated by several different people who had wildly conflicting themes in mind. Paisley with stripes, good _god_. But it was big and clean, so it would do. 

 

She sighed. “So. Stephanie…”

 

“Yeah, she was creepy, too,” Cisco said, plopping down on the floor. 

 

“Yeah, I’ll admit,” she nodded. “But we can't make someone a suspect just for being creepy--wait, can we?”

 

He let out a short laugh. “Well, I don’t think it’s a _terrible_ idea, since everyone who works here is a suspect, anyway.” He started unzipping his bag, then paused. “Plus, I got a vibe earlier. From that pen at the front desk.” He shook his head. “Not sure how it’s related but Stephanie was in it.”

 

“Well, it’s a start,” she nodded. 

 

“Gotta start somewhere.”

 

“You think that girl is one of the missing?”

 

“I wouldn't be surprised. She looked way too young to be checking into an inn by herself. Could be a runaway.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a set of light blue bedsheets.

 

“Sheets. I knew I’d forgotten something.”

 

“Fear not. This,” he grunted, hefting up his bag, “backpack contains everything we could possibly need.”

 

“Is that why you nearly broke your back lifting it?” she chuckled.

 

“You can never be too prepared.” He set it carefully back down. “I never understood people who could just sleep on public sheets.” He scrunched his nose. “There could be sex juice on them.”

 

“Ew, don’t say 'sex juice'.”

 

“Or murder fluid,” he ignored her. “Or it could be like American Horror Story where they stuffed a guy in the mattress—

 

“Okay!" She shuddered, willing the imagery from her mind. "I'm gonna go check out the bathroom? See if there are any clues. maybe one of our missing teens stayed in this room.”

 

To be honest she had no clue what she expected to find in the bathroom. Residue? Maybe an article of clothing someone left that Cisco could vibe. Either way she came up empty.

 

“Did you say body in the mattress?”

 

Cisco looked up from where he was tossing the old sheets on the floor. “Yeah, in AHS: Hotel, there was a dude trapped in a mattress in like, the first episode. _Freaky,_ ” he sing-songed the last part. 

 

“But you don’t actually think they did that here, right?”

 

“Who knows? I wouldn’t put it past Stephanie out there,” he chuckled. “She looks like a ghost from The Further.”

 

“I don't know what that means," she said. "But I doubt they'd stuff a body in the mattress." But still, she squinted down at the bed. 

 

“If you say so. Just throwing theories out there. And there's only one way to be sure.” He said. And when she looked back up at him, his face was completely serious. 

 

She rolled her eyes, but leaned forward and pressed on the center of the mattress.

 

“ _Mmeurghh_!"

 

She jumped back with a yelp.

 

"You made that way too easy," Cisco chuckled, before falling into a full fit of laughter. 

 

“Dude, what the hell,” she groaned, pressing a hand to her chest. "You're the worst, do you know that?"

 

He nodded, still giggling. 

 

Iris grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the face. He was only able to sputter out a “Hey!” before getting another mouthful, knocking him to the bed. 

 

“Yeah, you like that?” Another hit. “You think you’re _hilarious_.” _smack_ “‘ _Body in the mattress_.’”

 

He tried to shield himself, but he was laughing to hard to really fight back. “Iris. Wait, the pillow could have sex juice--”

 

“Oh yeah?” She leaned over him and whacked him again. His hair flopped over his eyes and she snorted out a laugh.

 

“Are you quite finished?” He seemed to be trying for a glare but a couple of giggles still slipped out. 

 

She sighed. "I suppose." She rested her weight on an elbow and Cisco sputtered when some of her hair fell in his mouth. "You know, you're not much of an opponent," she smiled down at him. 

 

He was about to fire back, then he froze. His smile fell away, just as a knock at the door startled them both.

 

“I should get that,” he said, rolling away from her and standing to head for the door.

 

She frowned and flopped back on the bed.

 

“Hello, lovebirds!” called a voice when the door swung open. It was Stephanie.

 

“Hi!" Iris snorted at Cisco's poor attempt at enthusiasm. "What can we help you with?” 

 

“I was hoping to give you two a tour. The Lethe has great historical value. And we’ve got _amazing_ amenities to suit young people like yourselves. The bar—” She stopped short. “Oh! But I could come back?”

 

“Come back? What…” Iris could hear the confusion in his voice and she sat up. Stephanie was staring at her with a knowing smile.

 

Iris looked down at the bed sheets, strewn halfway off the bed, then at Cisco and his ruffled hair. Her eyes widened, and she leapt up from the bed, smoothing her clothes. 

 

“This isn't what it looks like--"

 

“Yeah, nope.” Cisco was shaking his head furiously. “We were just—“

 

“Don’t be embarrassed!” Stephanie waved them off, “It’s perfectly natural. You’re young, your libidos are thriving.” Oh god. “And this one here, Irene. He’s a catch, huh?” she said, nodding at Cisco, who looked ready to burst into flames.

 

Iris tried to think of something, anything, to end this moment. “You mentioned a tour?” 

 

Stephanie’s smile widened. “Whenever you’re ready.”

 

* * *

 

It'd taken all of thirty seconds for Cisco to be 100% done with that tour. Stephanie had taken them to every floor, droning on about which local white guy nobody’s heard of lived there in the early 1900s. The plus side was that it turned out to be the perfect way to scout where to put his cameras. He'd taken to calling them "KubCams" for obvious reasons......Iris hated it.

 

“Did you get another vibe earlier?” she said. She started unzipping her jeans. 

 

"Uh..." He'll just...turn around, then. "You mean on the tour? Because that was my bored-out-of-my-mind face.” He could hear her clothes rustling behind him. 

 

“No, I mean before that.”

 

“I only remember the one.” 

 

“Then what the hell was wrong with you earlier?”

 

“Okay, you keep saying ‘earlier’ like I’m supposed to know exactly when you’re talking about.”

 

“On the bed?” she said slowly, and the box springs creaked as she sat down. “You froze up--You can turn around now."

 

He didn't. “Oh, yeah, that? Yeah, I got a vibe. From the mattress," he nodded, fixing his hair behind his ear. 

 

“But you just said—“

 

“I thought you meant vibes pertaining to the mission,” he lied.“This one was uh….” he squeezed his eyes shut.“I vibed the people who’d had sex on the bed?” 

 

Iris gasped. And for a second he thought she’d called his bluff.“And you just got up and let me lay there? Cisco, what the hell?”

 

He let out a breath, and turned. She’d changed into a big gray T-shirt that she was basically swimming in. 

 

“Yeah well,” he said. “I was in shock. You wouldn't even believe--"

 

“I don't wanna know,” she said quickly. But then wrinkled her nose, smiling a bit. “Were they nasty?”

 

“I-”He blinked a few times. "We're not gonna discuss this." 

 

“It’s just a question,” she mumbled. “Were they freaks--they were freaks. They had to be. You looked pretty shaken.”

 

“ _I’ve_ had enough of this, I’m going to sleep.” He threw a pillow at the foot of the bed.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Didn’t I just—I’m going to sleep.”

 

“No, are you about to sleep on the floor?”

 

“Yes?” They hadn’t discussed it, but he’d just assumed the couples’ suite thing was just to keep appearances. That in no way indicated that they had to sleep together. In the same bed. Together. With her in a big shirt. Because he was a gentleman. 

 

“You can’t sleep on the floor, Cisco,” she sighed as if it was an argument they’d already had. She folded down the bed covers and patted the empty space beside her.

 

He stared at it.

 

“Oh my god, Cisco. This bed is gigantic. It’s ridiculous for you to sleep on the floor.”

 

He opened his mouth —“Cisco”—closed it. He picked up his pillow and crawled into the empty space.

 

She adjusted her headscarf and turned on her side, her back to him. “No, spooning.”

 

He snorted. “Obviously.”

_____

 

Obviously _not_ , because they woke up pretzeled together like they'd never even bothered sleeping on opposite sides. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some solid investigating and the how-they-met

“Need help reaching that?”

 

“You bring a step stool, or are you just gonna try and reach it two inches better?”

 

“Okay, wow.First of all, rude. Second, I’ve got a good five inches on you.”

 

“Not in these heels.”

 

“That is _artificial_ height. This is five feet, nine inches of reality.” 

 

“You said that out loud, d'you know that?” Iris chuckled before continuing her fruitless hopping. “Besides, you’re supposed to be the lookout.”

 

“Well there’s no one coming, and you look ridiculous,” he said, taking the tiny surveillance lens from her hands. “Get on my shoulders.” 

 

She pursed her lips.“That’s actually a good idea.” 

 

“Yeah, I have them.” He knelt down next to her. When her legs were secure on his shoulders he stood up. “There was no way you could have reached way up there by jumping.”

 

She took the lens, pressed it securely into the top corner of the wall, and scoffed, “I could have made it! I’ve got hops.” 

 

“You were like, five feet away from it. At least.” He chuckled. “Hops,” he grumbled, shaking his head.

 

“Yes, _hops._ You should have seen me when me and Barry played ball as kids. That boy’s ankles _stayed_ broke.” She tapped the lens. “We square? I think this is the last one.”

 

He looked down at the camera feed on his phone and saw Iris cheesing goofily into the screen. He shook his head again, smiling to himself. “Yeah, we’re square.” 

 

_____

 

“Now, I could have sworn I blocked your number.”

 

“You’re funny.”

 

Cisco chuckled.“Wasn’t a joke, but okay.”

 

After dodging Harry’s calls for days, Cisco felt like it was about time he answer at least one of them, or he’d like, do something drastic. Like go all the way to Star City to see if he was really there. Never underestimate the nosy dickery of Harry Wells. 

 

“When exactly do you think you’ll be done with this little vacation of yours?”

 

“Aww, do you _miss me_?”

 

Harry made an irritated noise. “You know I’m gonna figure out what you’re _really_ doing.” 

 

“I already told you what I’m _really_ doing, Harry. You’re just such a skeptic, you’d turn anything into a murder mystery.”

 

Iris came through the door “Kay, I got the pizza—”

 

Cisco made a cutting motion across his neck, but it was too late. “Who was that?” Harry said. 

 

“Laurel,” Cisco said, too quickly. 

 

“That didn’t—”

 

“O- _kay_ gotta eat see ya Harry,” he rushed out before hanging up and tossing the phone on the bed. 

 

Iris sat the pizza box on the dresser. “Harry, again?”

 

“Yeah, he’s like a dog with a bone, honestly.”He sighed.

 

She nodded. "Barry and my dad keep calling to check in. And Wally keeps calling because apparently Barry's been trying really hard to hang out with him lately, and he thinks I put him up to it."

 

Haha, oops. He sighed. "Yeah, well, Harry doesn’t seem to be buying my story.”

 

“Well, maybe you’re not too good at selling it,” she countered. 

 

“ _Well_ , I’m not much of a liar,” he chuckled. 

 

Something shifted in her eyes, but she said, “No, you’re not.” 

 

He frowned.“Yo...”

 

She tapped the pizza box and flashed a tight smile. “Food,” she said before picking up her laptop and taking a seat at the desk. 

 

He ignored the pizza and sat next to her. “Iris.” 

 

“Who’s the next person on the list,” she said, eyes fixed on the computer screen. 

 

They’d been questioning the staff, and some guests to see if they could get any clues on the girl from his vibe. For the sake of not looking like a couple of narcs, they had to dole them out over the week, disguise their questions as curiosity within casual conversation. 

 

And he didn’t think he knew her well enough to push on a subject she didn’t want to talk about, so he said, “Last one. Todd, the bartender.” 

 

She nodded and finally met his eyes. Whatever she saw there seemed to partially resolve whatever she’d been feeling and she smiled, small, but genuine. “Pizza’s not gonna eat itself, Cisco.”

 

* * *

 

Todd the bartender—Codename: Lloyd, because Cisco _did not_ wanna let go of this Shiningthing— was a total sleazebag. He was tall and muscular, and he wore a fedora because of course he did. Iris couldn't get any info out of him that didn't immediately circle back to his tired ass mack.  

 

“Irene, huh? Kind of an old name for such a young woman,” he smirked at her. 

 

“Old soul,” she said, checking her phone. Where the hell was Cisco?

 

“I like that in a woman.” 

 

She fought the strong urge to say _did I ask_. He was their last potential witness and they hadn’t gotten much info from the others so she couldn’t very well cuss him out. But Cisco picked the wrong time to do whatever the hell he was doing. 

 

“How long you plan on stayin’?” he said, leaning against the bar. “Maybe we could…” he raised his eyebrows. A look she pretended not to notice. 

 

“Frankie and I are looking for a place in the city. So we’ll stay until we can find one that’s affordable.” 

 

His brow crinkled. “Frankie,” he repeated. And of course he wouldn’t know her (pretend) boyfriend’s name, he’d been too busy talking about how his art captures the female form in ways that mainstream media fails to encapsulate. She’d barely been able to get a word in edgewise until now. 

 

“My boyfriend,” she said simply. 

 

“You guys talkin’ about me?” Cisco chimed in, taking a seat next to her. 

 

It was only when his hand slid across her back that she realized how tense she’d been. She relaxed her shoulders."Where were you?" she said between clenched teeth. 

 

"'Nother family phonecall," he whispered back, waving his phone. She sighed in sympathy. 

 

"You must be Frankie," Todd, broke in. He seemed to size Cisco up, and his lip curled a bit before he reached his hand over the bar, "Todd."

 

Cisco raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded, swallowing a laugh. He grabbed Todd's hand, "Nice to meet you Todd."

 

She caught Cisco's jaw tick when Todd most likely squeezed his hand harder than necessary. "I was just telling Irene, about how nice it was to hear such an antique name for such a young woman," Todd said, pulling his hand back. 

 

Cisco flexed his own. "Yeah, well. Irene's an old soul, aren'tcha, babe?"

 

"That's what I told'em," Iris said, taking Cisco's hand in hers. She watched Todd zero in on it, and she bit back a smile. "Speaking of young people, can't imagine you get a lot of guests our age." 

 

“No, not really," Todd said. He jutted his chin. "Victorian isn’t really a scene of this generation is it?”

 

She took a sip of her beer, then said,“Well, I can’t speak for all of us. But, I mean, vintage is in these days.”

 

“ _Trends,_ " he said it like a curse word. "But, how many of them really know the history?” Cisco made a choking noise and she knew he was trying not to laugh. 

 

“Last time we had someone younger than 30 here,” Todd said, “was about a month ago. Wasn’t even old enough to drink. Probably didn’t know a thing about Victorian architecture. Came because it looked cool," he shook his head in disgust. 

 

She and Cisco exchanged a look. “Still, that’s pretty young to be coming to stay at an inn alone,” Cisco said. 

 

Todd looked like he'd been trying to forget Cisco's presence, but he said, “We get a few runaways every once in awhile. They make up most of our young demographic.” He looked between the two of them. “So, you two are getting a place in the city, huh?”

 

“Yep. Starting fresh,” Iris said. 

 

“Hm. You don’t seem like each other’s types,” he sneered, and wow, she wanted to hit this guy. “How’d you even meet?” 

 

Iris blanked. They’d never been asked that question. They hadn't even gone _over_ that question. How had they not discussed how they met, it’s like the first thing you do! Coffee shop. People meet in coffee shops all the time they didn’t need to make it a big thing. 

 

“Hospital.” Cisco blurted. And she just barely held back from gaping at him. 

 

Todd’s eyebrows rose. “The hospital? Now I’ve gotta hear this.” 

 

“It’s really boring,” Iris tried. 

 

“Bullshit,” Todd smirked. “Come on. What couple doesn’t like to tell the ‘How-We-Met’ story?”

 

The other guests at the bar were starting to notice them. And she had _nothing_. What’s romantic about a hospital? Nothing, that’s what. 

 

Todd gaze was flicking between the two of them, “Well?” 

 

Cisco was making confetti out of his beer label, jaw clenching and unclenching. He glanced at her, did a double take, as if he’d remembered something. “I’ll tell it,” he said finally.

 

Todd crossed his arms. And Cisco took a deep breath. “Irene’s…friend got into a really bad accident a couple of years ago. Put him in a coma for a real long time,” he started. Iris’ eyes widened. 

 

Cisco gave her a look, a silent question. She nodded. She wanted to see where this was going. 

 

“It was back when I was trying to be a doctor,” he lied.“I was a med student at the time. Really green, you know?” 

 

Iris smirked. She knew the medschool cover would come in handy. 

 

“But I was assigned to his room, and Ir— _ene_ came to see him almost every day.” He kept his eyes trained on his bottle, like the story was floating around in there. 

 

“And I thought she was so beautiful.” He blinked like the thought surprised him. “But like…really, really sad. And….something about her…I just hated seeing her that way. So, sometimes I would stay, sit with her, when she wanted company. The rest of the staff preferred to keep their distance. Which, would have been more professional of me,” he chuckled. “And she didn’t really talk to me, at first—-which—that didn’t matter. She was there for her friend.”

 

He paused, thoughtful, and Iris couldn’t tell if he was remembering the story or deciding whether or not to continue. But he licked his lips and nodded. 

 

“I just…I wanted to see her smile. So I’d bring her tea, and CD’s, really whatever she needed or wanted. Or I’d make a fool out of myself just to see her laugh.” 

 

Her mouth quirked, remembering all of those _awful_ knock-knock jokes he told on a day when she’d been particularly broken. 

 

She heard Todd shifting uncomfortably, but she couldn't find it in her to be properly smug about right now. 

 

“It wasn’t my job,” Cisco continued. “At all. And sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t’ve….” He shook his head, didn’t let himself finish.“But I realized I didn’t ever wanna stop…hearing that laugh.” He looked thoughtful again, flexed his fingers, like he just noticed their hands were still clasped. Then he cleared his throat. “So a few weeks after her friend woke up, I asked her to coffee, and she said yes,” he finished with a lopsided grin. He pat her on the wrist, as if that was the final piece to sell it. 

 

Iris blinked, then blinked again and realized there were tears on her face. She ducked her head and wiped at her eyes. 

 

It was weird, hearing this side of the story. It felt like a lifetime ago. And any time she thought of Barry’s coma, she’d think of the way he looked laying there, and Eddie, and all the pain attached to those memories. But she remembered this too, now. And Cisco. She’d never…

 

She felt his hand on her back, and when she met his eyes, there was concern in them. 

 

“Well,” Todd’s voice cut in. “S'not the _best_ I've heard,” he said. 

 

But Cisco ignored him and held her gaze, questioning. She sniffed and looked away, smiling brightly at Todd. “Every time he tells it, it’s like I’m hearing it for the first time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone's wondering, "hops" was referring to Iris' basketball skills. You just know she schooled Barry.
> 
> Also literally no one can tell me that Cisco wasn't trying to cheer Iris up while Barry was under. The writers did this friendship so dirty.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a break in the case and....things get a little more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Detailed smooching warning if you're not into that

“This is going slower than I want it to,” Iris called tiredly over her shoulder, back tense, eyes glued to the camera feed in front of her. 

 

“Trust the KubCams—“

 

“Still hate that.”

 

“—They’ll pick up something.” He shifted and grabbed the pretzels from the nightstand.“Besides," he said around a mouthful. "We’ve only been here a week, and they’ve been doing this for a while now. We gotta be patient.” 

 

He watched her shoulders slump as she let out a frustrated breath.“Okay, but a week is gonna turn into two, and we still don’t know what’s happening to these people. And, god, I don’t know how to many more check-up calls from everyone I can take.” 

 

He snorted. “I hear that. Caitlin called me the other day and gave me the like, 29th degree.”

 

She turned her head.“What’d you tell her?”

 

“Same thing I keep telling Barry, and Harry, and everyone else," he said. “Then, I ‘went through a tunnel’," he grinned proudly. "Did you know I can disrupt phone calls with low-frequency vibration blasts?”

 

“I did not,” she smiled, like she was impressed, and he flushed a little and stuffed his mouth with more pretzels. 

 

She sighed. “I feel like we’ve just been wasting time.”

 

“We’re doing the best we can. Maybe you should take a break. Get some sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll watch the cameras.”

 

She straightened her back. “I’m fine.”

 

“You’re stressed.”

 

“I’m _focused_.” She rubbed her temples, then froze. “Wait, you said they’ve been doing this a lot longer…”

 

“Yeah? So?”

 

“ _So,_ ” she said, turning on him. “If they’re pros at this by now, then us just watching them isn’t gonna get us anywhere. They’re not gonna slip up within 2 weeks.”

 

“Probably not, but what do you wanna do?”

 

“Well,” she smiled, “I say we shake things up a little. Stop waiting for them to show us the way, and make our own way. If they’re taking these people, and nobody notices? They’ve gotta be storing them somewhere. So if we can find where they’re storing them—”

 

He got an idea, and he scooted down next to her and reached over her shoulder. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Pulling up the blueprints,” he said, grabbing for the tablet. “Watch out.” 

 

She inched over enough for him to settle next to her, hip to hip. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.”

 

“Think of what?”

 

“Well, like you said, they could be storing them somewhere," he said, fingers moving across the keys. “So that has me thinking: If _I_ were an evil inn service stealing young people, I’d probably be storing them somewhere _in_ the inn for easy access.” 

 

She made a little sound.“You’ve been watching a lot of Criminal Minds this week.”

 

“There are so many seasons, I couldn’t stop myself,” he sighed. “Anyway. I’m thinking they wouldn’t have the _real_ blueprints where anyone could easily get to them.” 

 

Iris caught on, “They’d release dummy blueprints. You’re looking for the original designs.”

 

“Yahtzee.”

 

She smiled, rubbing his shoulder. “Cool.” 

 

“No, I mean _Yahtzee._ I found ‘em.” 

 

“Shit, that was fast.” 

 

“We’ve talked about this.”

 

“Sorry,” she giggled. “Okay can you pull up the most recent blueprints?”

 

“Way ahead of you.” He pulled up the blueprints side-by side. 

 

She studied the screen.“There.” She pointed at a basement side room on the original prints. “That’s not on the duplicate.” 

 

“No it is not," he said. He felt her shift and suddenly there was weight on his side. He turned his head. “Are you falling asleep on me?”

 

“No," she yawned. 

 

He smiled. “It’s okay, Iris. You need sleep.” 

 

“M’not sleepy. Let’s go check out the basement,” she said, even as her eyes drooped. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he hesitated for a moment before wrapping an arm around her. She felt warmer than she should, and he was glad she was finally getting a little rest. 

 

“In a bit, I think.” 

_____

 

Getting to that basement was fucking difficult. Like, wildly, ridiculously difficult. For one thing they couldn’t leave the room without Stephanie riding their asses like her life depended on it. No concierge in the history of ever was away from the front desk as often as she was. 

 

“Cisco, can you hear me?” Iris' voice was huskier through the comms. 

 

He adjusted the earpiece. “Loud and clear.”

 

“Okay, so just like we talked about. I’ll watch the cameras from here and you get as close as you can to the basement. Touch everything you can to get a vibe. And I’ll be down when I see the coast is clear.”

 

“Roger that. Wait—-touch everything? That’s…unsanitary.”

 

He heard her sigh through the comms and he smirked. “I _got_ it, I got it.” 

 

“Okay. You’re good to go—hey. It’s like I’m you. I’m Mission Control.” She gasped softly. “I’m the Geek Squad.”

 

“Is that what you call me behind my back?” 

 

“That’s your name in my phone,” she said, teasing lilt to her voice. 

 

“That’s…terrible. You can definitely do better.”

 

He made his way into the stairwell, descending until he got to the first floor, then making his way back into the hallway. 

 

“Still good, Iris?” He whispered. 

 

“Yep—ooohwaitwaitwait.” She paused. 

 

“What?”

 

“It’s just a drunk guy coming out of his room, keep going. Just be casual.”

 

He jammed his hands into his pockets and rolled his shoulders.

 

“What the hell was that?”

 

“I’m being casual and…honestly I forgot you could see me.” He turned around and winked at where he knew the camera was.

 

“Idiot,” but he could tell she was smiling. “Keep moving.” 

 

He trudged on. 

 

“Kay, I’m here.” He looked around. “And I regret coming down here by myself—why were you trailing behind again?”

 

“Is it creepy?”

 

He rolled his eyes. “No, it’s just so beautiful I wanted you to see it.” 

 

She giggled, and he heard a distinct _crunch_ in his ear. “Iris…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Are you eating my cheese puffs?”

 

The crunching stopped. “No…?” she garbled out. 

 

“You said you didn’t want any—”

 

“I changed my mind,” she said meekly. 

 

He sucked his teeth. “Man, you’re lucky I like you. But don’t let me find cheese stains on my screen.”

 

“Yesh, yesh.” When she spoke again her voice was clear. “Get any vibes yet?”

 

“Not yet.” He pressed his hands to the walls. 

 

“Well, just make sure you touch as much as you can.” 

 

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” he said impatiently. “Everything’s covered in fucking cobwebs.” He sighed. “I don’t—”

 

The basement shifted until everything was blue, darker than before. He didn’t recognize this place, it looked like a kind of man-made underground tunnel. There was crying in the distance and he started forward, but stopped when he stepped on something. He looked down, it was a Diamonds baseball cap. 

 

The image glitched before he was standing in the basement again. It almost seemed well-lit in comparison to what he’d just seen. 

 

“Cisco? Are you okay, can you hear me?” Iris’ voice was rising. 

 

“Yeah—Iris I’m fine. I just got a vibe.” 

 

He heard her let out a breath. “Okay, I’m coming down.” 

_____

 

“This is a big ass basement,” Iris whispered. She wiggled out of the way of a cobweb. 

 

“Yeah, just get used to those,” he said leading her to the spot where he got his vibe. 

 

She took out her phone’s flashlight and studied the wall. Then the floor, stomping her feet a bit. “I don’t understand. There’s gotta be some compartment down here, I mean—“ she took his tablet from where it was tucked under her arm. “It’s right here on the blueprints.” 

 

She tucked the tablet back and passed her phone to him and he held the light steady while she ran her hands along the wall. He winced in sympathy at the way the cobwebs clung to her arms. She sighed, and rapped her knuckles against the plaster. Her brows shot up. “Did you hear that?”

 

He nodded “Hollow.”

 

She nodded back, small smile forming on her lips. She pressed along the wall more determinately now, then paused. “Light,” she said, and he moved in closer to shine the camera flash where she as indicating. 

 

“Is that..”

 

“A seam,” she finished. “This is a door. Just gotta find the handle—“ There was a commotion near the stairs. 

 

They swore in unison. 

 

He turned off the flashlight and listened. The noise was getting closer. Footsteps. He scanned the room. “There’s literally nowhere to hide. Who has a basement this big without any fucking boxes?” he whispered furiously. 

 

“Shhh, lemme think for a second.” The noise grew closer. 

 

“Maybe we can make a break for it, you know? How fast can you run? We can come back when—”he cut off when he noticed Iris staring at his mouth. He blinked. “Iris?”

 

“Kiss me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I mean they already think we’re all over each other. Frankie and Irene just went to find an exciting place to fool around,” she said, words tripping over themselves as the noise grew closer and closer. 

 

Well, this was...a lot. “I. Iris—“

 

She let out a breath. “Just—”she stepped into his space, so close that when she breathed out he could feel it tickle his lips. One hand clenched in his jacket, the other pressed between them, clinging to the tablet. She raised her eyebrows. "Okay?"

 

His brow creased but he nodded. He noticed absently that there were freckles on her nose that he'd never caught, before their mouths sealed together.  

 

And. Well. He was kissing Iris. That was happening. She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat which he interpreted as, ‘loosen the hell up, Cisco’. So he softened his mouth and let his hands fall to her waist. 

 

And that was. That was better. 

 

Iris sighed and he figured she thought it was better, too. Her lips were soft, and warm. And she tasted faintly like his cheese puffs and he realized the inside of her mouth probably tasted even _more_ like his cheese puffs. As a scientist, he had to get to the bottom of that. 

 

He crowded her into the wall and bit at her bottom lip before he could stop to consider the line he was probably crossing. Iris made a surprised sound and hesitated for what was probably half a second but felt like eternity before spreading her fingers through his hair and letting him deepen the kiss. And she tasted like his cheese puffs and like _Iris_ , which was a really stupid thing to think because he didn’t know what she tasted like until now but it _felt_ like it made perfect sense. 

 

His hands tightened on her waist and she made a soft whining sound that made the blood rush from his head so fast he may have lost a few IQ points. 

 

“ _Ahem,_ ” a voice said. 

 

Iris pulled away with a gasp, and it took all of his willpower not to chase her mouth. She stared at him for a moment before turning away with a sheepish grin that didn’t seem all that forced. “Oh, my god. Stephanie, hi!”

 

Who the hell was Stephanie? Why did they stop kissing? He stared stupidly at Iris until his brain worked properly again. 

 

“Hello, there,” Stephanie smirked. “You know I tried getting your attention. Couple times.”

 

Iris was holding her hand over her nose the way he’d come to realize meant she was embarrassed, so Cisco said, “Sorry we uh, got a little carried away.”

 

“I can see that.” Stephanie’s eyes flashed from them to the wall behind them, and he had a feeling they should leave before she could start making connections. 

 

Iris must have had the same thought because she said, “I guess we should take this party to our room, babe. Sorry again, Stephanie.” Stephanie didn’t get a word in before Iris grabbed his hand and hauled him up the stairs, brushing cobwebs from her hair as they went.

 

* * *

 

Iris stared at the paint spikes on the ceiling, counting. She couldn't get to the 50s without messing up and having to start back over.

 

They didn’t need to talk about it. It was a kiss. Like one kiss, she’d had plenty of one kisses that meant nothing. Even though, oh god, she’d been eating cheese puffs before she kissed him. That was embarrassing. She felt a little guilty for that one. _He_ tasted like Razzles, which was probably a much better experience. She hadn’t eaten Razzles in years, but now she was kind of craving them. 

 

She heard him rustling around next to her, and wondered if he was awake. She knew she shouldn’t have taken that nap earlier. That was probably why she couldn’t sleep. 

 

“Cisco,” she whispered. 

 

“Hm?” he answered immediately. 

 

Oh, oops. She wasn’t actually expecting him to answer. Now she had to think of something to say. She could mention the kiss, just to shake away the weirdness between them. No, but then it would seem like she'd been thinking about it. And there was no reason she should have been thinking about it that didn't make her question herself. 

 

She must have waited too long to answer because he said,“Iris, are you okay?” 

 

She nodded her head, even though he probably couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I’m fine I just. I’m thinking about the team,” she lied. “I just realized I’ve never been away from them this long. Since I joined.” And, at least that was true. 

 

He shifted, and she could tell he was facing her now. “Yeah, me neither. It’s actually kind of nice.”

 

She turned her head, finally looking at him. “Really?”

 

He shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. I mean, I love them and all. But,” he sighed, “sometimes I feel like I’m losing myself.” 

 

Huh. “How so?”

 

He rolled onto his back. “I can’t make my own suit,” he admitted. “I’ve tried. Over and over. And I can’t—nothing looks _right_. Everyone else’s suits? Easy. I barely have to think about it.”

 

“But you feel like you’ve spent so much time making things for other people, you don’t know how to do it for yourself?” she finished. 

 

“Yeah, I guess,” he said, rubbing a hand down his face. “Does that sound stupid? It does.”

 

“No, no, no,” she hushed. “It doesn’t sound stupid at all, I get it.” She laid her head on his shoulder, because she might as well. “I think we’ve all kind of taken you for granted, Cisco. And it’s okay to want a—an identity outside of the team. _I_ do.” She smiled. “And I wouldn’t worry about your suit,” she said. “You’re Cisco Ramon. You can literally make anything. You’re like…better than Tony Stark.” 

 

He blinked. And turned his head. “Did you just say better than Tony Stark?” 

 

“Way better,” she nodded. “We should get you a tip jar.” 

 

His eyes flickered across her face, and he said, “That’s actually not a bad idea,” even though he looked like he wanted to say something else. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco's a good shoulder and....things get a little more dangerous.

Her laptop shut abruptly, nearly clipping her fingers. “Hey!”

 

“You need a break,” Cisco said, resting his hands on his hips. 

 

“Well you almost _broke_ my fingers, does that count?” She raised a brow. 

 

He deflated a little, “Yeah, sorry, that was a little much.” Then he straightened. “But the statement still stands. You need to take a breather.”

 

“You’ve been saying that for days,” she sighed. 

 

“And for _days_ you’ve very pointedly _not_ taken a break. So…”

 

She opened her laptop again. “Ever since we found that trick wall, there’s been a heightened presence of staff members around the basement at all times. I gotta find an opening so we can get back there.”

 

“You’re gonna burn yourself out, Iris.”

 

“Who knows how much they suspect we know,” she ignored him. Something flopped over her laptop screen. “What’s this?”

 

“Your jacket.” She looked up at him. “Come on, let’s get some fresh air,” he shrugged. 

 

“Fresh air?”

 

“Yeah, as in, the air outside? There's a creek not too far from here. We can,” he made a few abortive gestures, “skip. Rocks. Or something.”

 

“Skip rocks? You don’t even know how to be an outside person, do you?”

 

“Well, I’ve been meaning to figure it out, but there’s like,” he squinted,“the sun and bugs and stuff.” He huffed. “Will you come on, already?”

 

She stared at him until he flashed her a cheesing grin. Then she softened, chuckling. “Fine.”

 

_____

 

“Wow, you are bad at this,” Iris laughed. 

 

“I’m not—-look that one skipped! See?” 

 

“Like, once.”

 

“It was twice, okay? Look we all have our gifts.” She threw a rock that skipped seven times before sinking. “Okay, that’s just mean. You’re mean to me.”

 

“Aww,” she giggled before picking up another smooth stone. 

 

“So, what’s up. What’s going on with you?”

 

She shook her head, “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, for past couple days you’ve been all strung out or something.”

 

“I’m not—”

 

“You’ve barely taken a break fromwatching that monitor. And when you actually find it in you to sleep, you toss around like you’re possessed.”

 

“I don’t toss.”

 

“And kick,” he said, crossing his arms. “Wanna see my bruises?”

 

And he said it like he didn’t know where to be annoyed or amused, but when she looked at him, there was real worry in his eyes. 

 

She sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, taking a seat on a nearby rock. She waited for Cisco to sit next to her before continuing. “I just, I really wanna get this right.”

 

“And I’ve been telling you, we will. We’re not out of time yet. And we’ve got good leads, Iris.”

 

“It's not just about the deadline. I don't," She took a breath, "I just don’t want it all to be for nothing”

 

He frowned. “What?”

 

She looked down at the stone in her hands, ran her thumb across its smoothness. “Keeping things from everyone, from Barry and my dad, especially. I want it to have been for a good reason.”

 

“Iris, you said yourself that it was okay to have an identity outside the team.”

 

“And I believe that,” she said. “But, I can’t help feeling like part of the reason I didn’t want them to know was…because of last year. Like I did it out of spite? Ever since I got this job, I feel like I’ve been trying to prove myself to them, especially after all that’s happened. Prove that they don’t need to protect me. And I dunno, maybe this case has reignited that. But I’ve forgiven them, so I shouldn’t feel that way. It isn’t fair to them. It’s not,” her breath hitched, “it’s not giving them the chance I promised them.” She felt the backs of her eyes start to sting and she blinked a few times.“I just…I need to know that I can solve this, so I can know for sure, that I’m right for doing this without them. If that makes sense,” she finished lamely. 

 

Cisco was silent for a moment, and she wondered if he was upset that she’d asked him into a mission that she now wasn’t completely sure of. But he shifted beside her and said, “Iris, you’re a really good person.” She looked at him, and his eyes were fixed on the forest. “Like stupidly good,” he chuckled. “You might be like, the best person I know. And I think sometimes you put other people's feelings before your own, even when they don’t really deserve that yet.”

 

He sat back on his hands. “Joe and Barry are great. You and I both know it. But a lot happened last year. A lot of painful shit all around that is gonna take a while for everyone to get over,” he said rubbing a hand over his chest. “You can’t expect to not have residual feelings about it _sometimes_.”

 

Her brow furrowed. And once again, she was taken aback by his perspective. Cisco always seemed so unfazed, but she was figuring out that he was a lot more observant than anyone gave him credit for. 

 

“But this is your job,” he said, “You’re not required to tell them, or the team or anyone anything about it that you don’t think they need to know.” He met her eyes. “Those people on your blog come to _you_ because they know you’ll hear them. Because you're a great reporter. They believe in you. Like I do,” he looked away, “and like the team does, even though sometimes some of them may have a funny way of showing it.”

 

She chuckled, sniffling a bit. 

 

“Plus,” he said, eyes glinting, “ _I’ve_ got your back. So it’s not like you can _lose._ ”

 

She snorted. “Gee, thanks.”

 

“Okay, but other than that last part I kinda killed that speech, right?” he said. 

 

“I can't lie, you’re actually really good at those.”

 

“I gotta be. I’m making a suit, gotta be good at the big hero monologues.”

 

She cracked up. “Is that Barry shade, or Oliver shade?”

 

His nose scrunched. “Little bit of both?” he said. 

 

She laughed, already feeling a bit lighter, and made a final swipe at the wetness under her eyes. Then, she sighed. “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this,” she said, bumping shoulders with him, “but you’re a…a really, really good guy, Cisco Ramon.” 

 

He flushed a little and smiled at the ground. When he looked back at her, he seemed to hesitate. 

 

And that look. He'd given her that look, a few times. She still couldn't read it. 

 

Then it was gone, and he shifted his gaze just above her head. “We should head back,” he said. “It’s getting dark.”

 

* * *

 

 The inn was eerily still. At least, more so than usual. The front desk was unoccupied, in fact the entire lobby was empty. 

 

Iris grabbed his wrist, stopping him from opening the door to their room. “Something’s not right,” she said. 

 

He nodded, and started to move ahead of her. She gave him a look, and he raised his hands and let her push forward. 

 

The room looked normal, clean. A lot cleaner than they’d left it.

 

Iris rummaged around, before coming to stand at the foot of the bed. “All our stuff is gone.”

 

“What do you mean ‘gone’?”

 

She ran her hands through her hair. “I mean it’s not here, Cisco. Our bags, with everything in them. Your tablet, my laptop.” She closed her eyes, let out a steadying breath.“I wonder if they’ve been on to us all this time.”

 

He pulled out his phone to check the camera feed. Nothing but static. He shook his head. “Well if they weren’t before, we’re definitely blown now.” He showed her the screen. 

 

She sighed. “Shit.” 

 

“Seconded.”

 

“This is okay, though. This means we were right,” she said, pacing. “We just need to get to the basement. Maybe they've—”she looked up suddenly, eyes wide and fixed just over his shoulder, “—Cisco!”

 

He didn’t have time to respond before a sharp pain shot through his neck and his world faded to black. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Cisco finally get to the bottom of The Lethe. In a way they didn't quite expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's got some violence, really the only violence in the whole story.

Cisco groaned. There was a muffled pounding in his head. Like he was underwater and someone was banging a bass drum just above the surface. He could hear the warped cries of a woman’s voice somewhere in the distance. They shaped roughly into the sound of his own name. And he realized that maybe it was Iris. And maybe he should wake up. 

 

“ _Cisco!_ ” cut sharply and painfully through his muddled mind.

 

“ _Ow_ , yep, that did it," he groaned again. "I’m alive, stop yelling.” He opened his eyes. He was lying on his side, Iris sitting next to him. Her hands were zip tied in front of her. 

 

“Oh thank god,” she breathed. “Are you okay?”

 

“Well, my head hurts,” he ground out, struggling to sit up. He leaned against the wall. "Where are we?"

 

"Some tunnel, dug out through the secret room in the basement," she said. "Looks like it's been here for a while."

 

He nodded and looked around. A tunnel. Manmade. Just like his vibe. He coughed. “Guess we got our invite.”

 

Iris nodded back. “Sooner than I expected. There’s a room further down in the tunnel. I counted maybe four or five others down there. Some of them need medical attention.”

 

“What are they doing to them?” 

 

Iris opened her mouth, but a small voice spoke up next to her. “Black market organ donation,” the voice said. “They grab us, hold us for a few months to make sure we’re eating healthy, and then they cut us up and sell us for parts.” 

 

“That’s why they need young people,” Iris added. “They need young organs.” 

 

Cisco grimaced, then looked past Iris at the girl. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, tight curls around her head, and her sweater was faded with dirt, but there was no mistaking she was the girl from his vision. “I’m Cisco,” he said gently.

 

The girl smiled, small and impish. “I know. Your girlfriend said your name a lot when she was screaming at you. Kept it up for like an hour. ”

 

His brows shot up. And he was surprised to see Iris flush a little. She opened her mouth, let out a short laugh, then said, “You looked pretty messed up. And I wasn’t able to catch you when you fell.” She made a few abortive noises, then said, “This is Fern.”

 

“Hi!” Fern said over Iris’ shoulder. 

 

“Hi,” Cisco chuckled. 

 

“Sorry to interrupt this moment,” a woman’s voice chirped from the shadows, before Stephanie revealed herself. And _that_ was getting old. Todd the bartender, the inn manager, and a couple of custodians followed behind her. 

 

“See, they were all in on it, knew it,” Cisco murmured. 

 

Fern whimpered and pressed herself into Iris’ side, and Iris shushed her softly. 

 

“We’d usually wait a while before we cut what we need from you, but I’m thinking you’re not who you said you are _Frankie_ and _Irene.”_ Stephanie said the names like they were insults. “Or should I say…Iris West, and Cisco Ramon.” She held up their wallets. 

 

“I knew you two weren’t _really_ together,” Todd sneered.

 

“Todd! For god’s sake, we don’t have time for your dick swinging,” Stephanie snapped. Todd's mouth clicked audibly shut. 

 

Stephanie collected herself.“It says here that you’re a reporter, Ms. West. Hmm. Not a very good one, turns out.” 

 

Iris raised her chin. “Good enough to figure out you’ve been doing this for years and thinking you could get away with it.” 

 

Stephanie quirked a brow. “Oh, but we _have_ been getting away with it. This inn has been thriving off of the bodies of children like you for years.” 

 

“You’re disgusting, you know that?” Iris seethed. “These kids needed a place to stay. They trusted you when you opened your doors to them. To give them shelter. And you’re selling them for parts.” 

 

“It’s just business, dear,” Stephanie said. “At first we only did it when the inn was going under. A couple kids here and there, no one would notice. But you wouldn’t believe how lucrative the market is for young organs: kidneys, hearts,” she tilted her head at Iris, “eyes like yours would fetch a pretty penny—”

 

“Yeah, yeah, Steph, this ain’t the first villain monologue we’ve heard,” Cisco said. “So if you’re done kissing your own ass maybe we can get on with this.” 

 

Her jaw ticked. “Very well, then,” she said. “Todd, Ms., West, first.” 

 

Todd grabbed Iris by the hair and she grunted in pain as he hauled her to her feet. 

 

“Iris—“

 

“We’ll be sure to bring you in when we get started, so you can watch,” Stephanie said. 

 

C isco made to move but Iris gave him a look and shook her head. ‘Not yet’ she mouthed. 

 

“Hey, didn’t we tie her hands _behind_ her back—?” Todd started. 

 

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion: Iris slammed her fists into Todd’s solar plexus, and when he doubled over, she brought her knee up into his nose. _Hard._ There was a sickening crack that said it was broken. She shoved her elbows back into her hips and the zip tie snapped off, before she grabbed at the gun jutting from the back of Todd’s pants. She cocked it and stepped back. 

 

Cisco's jaw dropped. “Iris,” he laughed, just this side of hysterical. “Iris, holy. Shit!” 

 

“Cisco, I’m trying to concentrate.” But she smiled anyway. 

 

Todd spit blood onto the ground. “Bitch,” he grunted out. 

 

“Shut up, Lloyd, your art was garbage,” she returned, before turning the gun on Stephanie and the rest of her men. “Take me to the others.” 

 

Stephanie laughed. “You think you’re the only one with a gun?” She snapped her fingers and the men cocked their pistols, training them on Iris. 

 

“I know I’m not,” Iris said shooting a glance at Cisco. 

 

He caught on and concentrated a vibration at his own ties, snapping them off. He hopped to his feet, stumbling slightly until Iris shot a hand out to steady him. 

 

Stephanie blinked. “Okay, now you’re both standing. Good. Now I don’t have to worry about hitting the merchandise when I kill you.” 

 

“Cisco.”

 

“Yep.” He raised his hands and concentrated a wave that blasted Stephanie's men into the walls behind her, unconscious. When Stephanie made to move, he sent another blast, knocking her to the ground. He looked down at his hands. “Was that too much? My head's still a little fucked up.” 

 

Iris pat him on the back, “No, no. You did good. Stay with Fern, and watch _him_ ,” she said, waving the gun at Todd before walking over to where Stephanie lay on the ground. She aimed the barrel at her. “Now. I believe you were showing me the way to your other victims."

 

"Dude, you guys are so badass," Fern whispered. 

 

Iris shot a grin over her shoulder, cocky and sure. And Cisco had a feeling the smile returned was dangerously smitten.

 

* * *

 

Seven kids total were recovered, alive, from the tunnels of that inn. Even more bodies of the ones they were too late for. It was bittersweet, but the Lethe would be shut down, and the Stephanie and her people would never harm another soul.

 

They’d called the police as soon as they had them secure in the basement. And of course, Detective Joe West was one of the first on the scene. 

 

“Here I am, thinking you’re gone for a week and change doing some piece on Keystone City’s biggest ball of wax,” he started. 

 

“Dad—"

 

"So, you can only imagine the look on my face when Captain Singh tells me that my daughter and Cisco Ramon, are caught in the middle of an organ trafficking operation.” 

 

Okay, when he said it like that. “Dad—“

 

“Iris, what the hell were you thinking?”

 

Her jaw ticked. “I'm  _thinking,_ I was doing my job,” she said. “Scott gave me two weeks, and I used them. These kids needed help, _my_ help. I followed the leads my blog gave me, and they led me here..”

 

“And it never crossed your mind, that it could be a trap?” He said, crossing his arms. “That maybe those sources were trying to lure you here?”

 

“It wouldn’t have mattered if they were, Dad, I’m not an idiot. I checked and double and triple checked as many sources as I could find.” She mirrored his stance. “Trap or not, I was getting to the bottom of this.” 

 

He looked like he wanted to argue, but then he said, “You couldn't have clued me in on this little operation?”

 

“I’ve never had a case like this before,” she shrugged, “thought you’d try to stop me.” 

 

Confusion flashed in his eyes before they softened. “Oh, Iris,” he sighed, dropping his arms. “Look, I know I can be a little overprotective.” She raised a brow. “Okay a lot overprotective. And I don’t…have the best track record for these things." He took a breath."I’m sorry, if I’ve made you feel as if you can’t talk to me about these things, that you can’t do your job because of me. But I'm trying, baby. I am.” 

 

She nodded. “I know, Dad,” she said, muffled as he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you." 

 

“But hey,” he said, pulling back. “No more of this sneaking off, okay? I don’t wanna hear second-hand that you were off diffusing bombs, after you told me you were just going to get some milk.”

 

She laughed. “Deal,” she said before hugging him again. 

 

“Hey, Iris, Fern’s in the ambulance, wants to talk to you,” Cisco said, strolling up behind her. He was holding an icepack to his temple.

 

“What the hell happened to you?” her dad said. 

 

“Well, Joe,” Cisco said, “I got stabbed in the _neck_ with a syringe and I fell and slammed my head on the ground. It was great.” He looked at her. “Why didn’t you get knocked out?”

 

She shrugged. “I told them I’d cooperate.”

 

He looked offended. “So what the hell, why’d they have to knock _me_ out? That’s some bullshit!”

 

She rubbed his back.“I know, I’m sorry,” she said, holding back a chuckle. 

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they didn’t knock you out,” he said quickly.  


 

“I know what you meant, Cisco." And this time she did chuckle. 

 

When she looked back at her dad, he was eyeing them strangely. 

 

“Cisco was a huge help, Dad,” Iris said, patting him on the shoulder.

 

“Okay, sure,” Cisco rolled his eyes, “but Joe, you should have seen Iris when we got captured it was _in_ sane. She took out this one dude, Lloyd, that was twice her size and…”

 

His voice faded into the bustle of the police and paramedics as Iris made her way to the ambulance. Fern was wrapped in a blanket, and she smiled brightly when she saw her approach. 

 

“Hey, there,” she said coming to sit down next to her. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Hungry,” Fern said. “They only let us eat like, healthy foods. It was awful.”

 

Iris chuckled. “Well, when you get your strength back, we can see if the others wanna get Big Belly Burger, my treat.”

 

“You wanna stay in touch?” she asked, and her eyes were so big and hopeful, it broke Iris’ heart. 

 

“Of course,” she said. “I gotta make sure you’re doing alright. Where are you staying?”

 

“With my grandparents,” Fern said, looking down. Something told Iris that her parents were a touchy subject. “What about Cisco?”

 

Iris turned and saw Cisco still talking animatedly to her dad. “Yeah, he’ll probably keep in touch too.” 

 

When she turned back, Fern was squinting at her. “So…you two aren’t together.” 

 

Iris shook her head. “Not together.” She looked back again, Cisco seemed to be scanning the crowd. When his eyes found hers, he smiled. She smiled back. 

 

“Just friends,” she said. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Fern is a little black girl (and by little I mean like 16-17) who totally looks up to Iris West.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Iris addresses her feelings. And Cisco does not.

Scott had actually been impressed, like, impressed enough to admit that he was impressed. "Not bad, Rook," he'd said. And she wondered when he was gonna get over this 'newbie' kick he had on her, since technically she'd been there first. But she couldn't find it in her to be too annoyed. Her story made the front page. And even though it was much more than that, she couldn't help but be excited. It even garnered the attention of a lot of good people who wanted to help find homes for the victims.

 

Things with the team were pretty normal, now. They'd been chill about the whole thing for the most part. Except for Barry, Barry was mad for a little bit. But he came around. And Harry, for all of his efforts to dig up the truth, seemed pretty unimpressed once it came to light. Things were good.

 

 “Five bank robberies in one day, that’s gotta be some kind of Central City record,” Cisco laughed, when Barry sped into the Cortex.

 

 “Yeah, I dunno. Maybe it’s a full moon,” Barry said, removing his cowl. “Wait, is that actually a thing?”

 

 “Yes,” Iris and Caitlin said in unison.

 

 “Still,” Iris said, “we should make sure they’re not all connected. They could have been a distraction for a bigger plan.”

 

 “That’s a good idea, Miss West,” Harry said, tapping the stem of his glasses to his mouth.

 

 She smiled and swiveled idly in her chair. Her suggestion sparked the inevitable science tangent, so she'd just wait. Cisco was uncharacteristically quiet, though, and she told him so.

 

"I'm just...busy," he said, eyes trained resolutely on the computer screen in front of him, which, even to her non-tech mind, didn't seem to have much going on with it. "Hey, could you stop that?"

 

She frowned realizing her foot grazed his leg when she swiveled a certain way. "Sorry." 

 

He'd been acting weird…er than usual ever since they got back. And maybe it was just readjusting to being around other people. Or maybe he was sick of her. Two weeks with nothing but each other, it wasn't out of the box.

 

She really needed to talk to him, though. So it was tricky navigating that, giving him space and trying to get him alone.

 

She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling these days. For him. The emotions were naive, a mix of her and Cisco that she'd never thought of. She gave them time, after they'd gotten back, to see if they went away. They didn't. She still liked the way her mouth felt when she said their names together. She liked the way she felt when she looked at him. But she couldn't curate these feelings if he wasn't interested in doing the same. 

 

She'd gotten used to being able to talk to him so easily, to read him. But now, she wasn't quite sure.  

 

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" she said softly, before she actually knew what she'd say to him. But she guessed now was as good a time as any. 

 

He looked up, shot a glance at Barry who now was arguing with Harry, with Wally starting to join in while Caitlin seemed to be reffing. "Sure."

 

"So what's up," he said, once they'd stepped out into the hallway.  

 

"I wanted to maybe," she chewed her lip for a second, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

 

He crossed his arms. "Okay?"

 

She took a breath. "But I was hoping, maybe not here? Jitters later?" And she'd bought him coffee, more than once, but saying it this time felt different. 

 

His brow creased. "What would you wanna talk about?"

 

Right out with it, then. "I think things got a little...complicated? At the inn." He paled a bit. "Not in a bad way," she rushed. "I just. Wanted to kind of figure it out."

 

He studied her for a moment, then looked away. "I'm actually um...I'm gonna be pretty busy? This week. So I'll have to raincheck you on the coffee," he said, already starting to inch around her.

 

"Oh," she said, turning with him. "Okay, sure."

 

"As for the whole," he gesticulated between them, "inn situation. It's fine, we don't need to discuss it."

 

They don't? "We don't?"

 

"Nah."He tucked his hair behind his ears. "Remember, we agreed. Frankie and Irene aren't Iris and Cisco. Church and state. Frankie and Irene were into each other..."

 

"And Iris and Cisco are not," she finished for him.

 

"Exactly," he smiled. A tight smile, like he was uncomfortable. "No clarification necessary."

 

"Okay," she said around a breath that maybe hurt a little. "I guess you're right." He nodded and started back into the Cortex. "Wait, Cisco?"

 

He turned.

 

"I don't think I ever really thanked you," she said, stepping closer. "For everything. For having my back, for believing in me."

 

He smiled again, this time small and honest. "No problem. You deserve it." He said it with a shrug, like the thought was no big deal. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

 

"Oh, there you are," Caitlin said, peeking her head out of the Cortex. If she noticed something she didn't comment. Instead, she said, "Harry thinks he's got something," with a roll of her eyes that probably meant 'it was a group effort but he's taking credit'. She didn't wait for them to respond before her head disappeared from view. 

 

Cisco shrugged. "Guess we should..." he tilted his head back toward the Cortex. 

 

She nodded, harder than she meant to. "Sure, yeah."

  

* * *

 

 He pinched the bridge of his nose. Flexed his fingers, picked up his screwdriver, and started again. 

 

It'd been a little hard to concentrate lately. And the annoying part of his brain told him that it was guilt or something. Because of the way he kind of blew Iris off. All she'd wanted was to grab a coffee. And probably talk about how they were better as friends. But he already knew that part, he wasn't too sure why they had to make an event of it. 

 

But still, he kind of felt like a jackass. Because he _wasn't_ busy, even though he said he was. And okay, maybe he was avoiding her. A little bit. 

 

But he'd rolled over this morning and felt a pang of  _something_ when she wasn't there. Same pang he felt every morning since they got back. And, gun to his head, he couldn't spin that into a 'friendship' thing. 

 

All that time he spent living/breathing/eating around Iris West only made him want to be around her more, and that made...no sense. He should have been sick of her after that long. But now there wasn't much he could think of that didn't circle back to her and her smiley sunshine of a face. 

 

It was annoying. He was annoyed with himself. And honestly what kind of friend was he anyway?  _Oh, yeah Iris, I'll do you a favor, but while I'm at it lemme catch these feelings._

 

He frowned. Wait, what? No. He'd been actively avoiding thinking the F word, even in his mind. He shook his head. He did not have a _feelings_. For  _Iris._  

 

He laughed quietly, and then a little louder. And then he started thinking about Iris' laugh. She was always laughing at him, but not in a mean way. In a you're-a-dope-and-that's-cool way. He liked the way she laughed, full and bright, it would tumble out of her like the joy of it surprised her. Every time. 

 

He dropped the screwdriver. " _Fuck,_ " he groaned. 

 

"Ramon," Harry snapped. 

 

Cisco jolted. He'd honestly forgotten Harry was here. "What?"

 

"You sound like a fucking lunatic over there, and you're stabbing at thing like it killed your dog."

 

He looked down at the tracking device he was modifying for Barry. It had...seen better days. But he said, "Tip jar."

 

Harry grunted. "Excuse me?"

 

Cisco pointed to the big metal jar next to his monitor. "Every time you insult me, you owe me five bucks."

 

"Since when?"

 

"Since now. Cough up."

 

Surprisingly, he actually payed up. "Now, what's the matter with you?"

 

Cisco shook his head. "Nothing."

 

 And Harry clearly didn't buy it. But for once, he left it alone. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Drunk!Caitlin may have what it takes to be an advice columnist, and Cisco comes clean.

“Is there something you wanna tell me?” Caitlin said around her straw. She was nursing some gradient blue shit that _she_ couldn’t even tell him the name of. 

 

He’d missed hanging out with Caitlin. She’d been helping Mercury Labs with some issue when he and Iris left, so he hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye. And ever since he got back, well. He’d been a little preoccupied. 

 

He stared at her. “Did you change your hair color? Is that what I’m supposed to be seeing?” 

 

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Well, actually I did lighten it a little bit, thank you.” She leaned her face on her hand, and he tilted his head to mirror her. “I’m talking about you and,” she hiccuped—oh, man, “and Iris.”

 

He eased back. “What about me and Iris?” 

 

She gave him a look, and honestly drunk Caitlin shouldn’t be this hard to shake. “Ever since you got back from your ‘mission’, or whatever, you two have been all weird around each other.” 

 

“Nuh-uh.”

 

“Yuh-huh. First, Iris was all smiley and googly at you, for like a week, and now the two of you barely even look at each other,” she steepled her hands together like a shrink, “Why is that?”

 

“We don’t—”he started, stopped. Blinked, “What do you mean ‘smiley and googly’?” he said finally. 

 

Caitlin rolled her eyes, then shut them tightly when that seemed to make her dizzy. “I _meeeaaan._ She was giving out some major signals.” 

 

“Signals?” 

 

“That she _likes_ you. Like, like-likes you.” 

 

“You said ‘like’ a lot, and lost me somewhere in there,” he frowned, leaning forward. “Caitlin,” he said slowly as if him articulating would make _her_ make more sense. “Are you trying to tell me that Iris has feelings for me?”

 

She shrugged. “Or had them. Cause now you’re all rigid around each other.” 

 

“That doesn’t make sense, though. She’d tell me, wouldn’t she? Iris is direct that way.” 

 

He didn’t know why the hell he was trying to talk himself out of this. 

 

“I saw what I saw,” Caitlin slurred, making a flourishing motion with her hands. He really needed to take her home. 

 

“Okay, but if she has feelings for me then why did she tell me the other day just the opposite? I mean, in so many words,” he said, even as Caitlin was laying her head down on the table. “I’m pretty sure she noticed how weird I’d gotten with her. And she asked me to coffee to give me the ‘talk’. So she couldn't have been all 'googly' when she--oh." 

 

“Caitlin,” he said, but she had already fallen asleep. He whispered to her anyway, “Caitlin. I think Iris asked me out.” He felt giddy, suddenly. 

 

Then it left him just as quickly as it arrived. “And I turned her down," he closed his eyes, "because I thought she wanted me to back off.” 

 

He laid his head down on the table. “ _Caaaaitliiiin_ , I’m an idiot.” 

 

“Mhm,” she mumbled sleepily. 

 

He chuckled. “Okay, I’m taking you home. Jesus.”

 

* * *

 

“Steady, Wally.”

 

“I _am._ ” 

 

“No, you’re not, your trajectory is all wrong.” 

 

“This is nail polish,” he said flatly, lowering the brush to her big toe. “I can’t believe you made me do this,” he mumbled. 

 

“I adore you, Wally,” she cooed. 

 

“Yeah, whatever,” he grunted. “So what was it like? Going undercover. I never got the chance to ask.”

 

She sighed, “It wasn’t bad. Not much different than the lives we’re living now, you know? Some things you can say in front of other people, some things you can’t.”

 

“Huh. Well, that was pretty cool, what you did,” he shrugged. "Saving those kids."  

 

She smiled, even as she felt a pang in her chest. She'd thought about Wally when she took on this story. About how he could have been one of those kids, looking for a new life. If Franc--If her mom hadn't found them.

 

“You know," he started. "You could have just told me that’s what you needed the car for. I wouldn’t have been so hard on you.” He dipped the brush back in the little bottle. “Maybe,” he added. 

 

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Wally.” She reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Tell you what: I’ll let you find me a really good car next time I go undercover.” 

 

He thought for a moment, “I’ll take it.” 

 

“Good,” she smiled. 

 

"And I can teach you how to get the most speed out of your engine," he said, smiling proudly.

 

"Mm, sounds illegal," she said, crinkling her nose. 

 

"Only if you're lame," he mumbled. 

 

There was a knock at the door. They stared at each other. 

 

Wally's shoulders hunched. “Iris--this is _your_ apartment.”

 

“My toes are still drying.” She wiggled them as if to prove her point.

 

“You’re so—“ he cut himself off with a sigh. “ _Fiiiiine_.” 

 

“Thank you, Wally,” she laughed. 

 

“Makin me stand up,” he grumbled under his breath. 

 

“Yo!” he said when he unlocked the door. “Cisco, what’s up?”

 

Iris stood. She touched her head. She was in her scarf. He’d seen her in her scarf plenty of times at this point, though. Still. 

 

“Hey, Wally. Sorry, I was…is Iris here?”

 

“This is her apartment,” Wally chuckled. 

 

“Right. That’s true.” 

 

“Cisco,” Iris said, finally coming to stand beside Wally, and ignoring the way he was squinting at the side of her head. She’d taken the scarf off, sue her. “What are you doing here?” 

 

Cisco seemed a little taken aback when he saw her. And well, that was satisfying. “Iris, hi,” he said. 

 

“Hi,” she said back. And she didn’t know why he was here. But he was smiling at her, and he seemed a little nervous, so maybe…

 

“Wow, okay, you guys. Imma deuce out,” Wally laughed leaning down to grab his shoes. 

 

“Wally, you don’t have to go,” Iris said. 

 

He shook his head. “Uh-uh. I ain’t staying for this.” He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. “Later sis,” he squeezed past Cisco, and said, “Good luck, man.” 

 

They stared at each other for a moment. Then they cracked up. 

 

“I’m sorry about that,” Iris said through a giggle. “He’s…very blunt.”

 

“Yeah, doesn’t run in the family or anything,” Cisco shrugged. 

 

“Shut up,” she said, ushering him inside. She closed the door and leaned back against it.“So, what are you doing here, Cisco.” 

 

He turned. “I was in the neighborhood.”

 

“Cisco.”

 

“Okay, no, that’s not it.” He flexed his fingers. “Um. I wanted to apologize.”

 

She crossed her arms. "For?"

 

"I was a dick? Kind of. More than kind of. The other day." 

 

She raised her eyebrows. "Yeah?"

 

"Yeah," he nodded. "You wanted to talk about something, and I blew you off. Because I was afraid to talk about it--Or. I was afraid to hear you say...what I thought you were going to say." He shook his head. "That's no excuse, though. I should have, still. Even if you were--"

 

"Cisco." His eyes snapped to hers. "What exactly are you saying?"

 

He blinked a few times, and seemed to be debating on whether or not he should step closer. So she stepped closer. "When we were undercover, I started feeling things," he said. 

 

She wanted to respond, but he looked like he had more to say. 

 

"For you," he continued. "Feeling things for you. And I told myself it was just being undercover." He took a breath, and then it was like a dam broke. "But then I started really thinking and I may have liked you for a while, possibly since the first night at the inn,  _definitely_ when we kissed you know you're a really good kisser and you're smart and funny and gorgeous and adorable and all of those cliché traits guys like to list out in rom-coms but like, I actually mean it and you're literally always smiling and it's like 'wow, give it a rest I'm trying to live my life'." He caught his breath. "So. Yep." 

 

She blinked at him. Then let out a breathless laugh. "That was...so much." 

 

He laughed too, but it sounded painful. "Yeah, that was. It was a lot. Should I go? I should go." 

 

"No!" she all but shouted. "I'm just," she laughed again, "trying to process." She went back over what he said in her mind. "Okay," she said. 

 

"Okay?"

 

She stepped closer, until there was only about two feet between them. "I've...been feeling things, too. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Working with you was...it was kind of...great?" She licked her lips. “I mean it just seemed like we were kind of on the same wavelength a lot and I just really liked the way that felt.” She met his eyes. “And I started thinking that maybe it was more than that. And then I liked the way that felt, too.”

 

He stared at her, smiled a bit, then muttered, "Drunk Caitlin was right."  

 

"What?"

 

He shook his head. "Nothing. So...what should we do?"

 

She let out a breath, shrugging, then considered. "Maybe we should...kiss again?" she said, flushing a little. "See what we feel? If we feel different. Or does that sound--"

 

"Yeah, sure," he nodded quickly. 

 

"Oh!" she blinked. "Okay. Alright, so." She draped her forearms over his shoulders. He settled his hands at her waist, and her stomach fluttered a little when the gesture made her think of the basement. 

 

For a moment they just stood there like that, neither of them making the first move. And then she giggled a bit, before pressing her face to his shoulder. 

 

"What?" he chuckled along with her, even though he didn't know what for. 

 

She giggled again, feeling light, "We probably look like a couple of eighth graders at a school dance." 

 

She felt more than heard his laughter, it rumbled through him and tickled where her nose was buried in his jacket. He always smelled like Murphy's Oil and butterscotch, which both did and didn't make sense. 

 

When they stopped giggling the tension was mostly gone. And she pulled away from him and smiled softly. "Okay, ready?"

 

He nodded, and she leaned in, eyes fluttering closed as her lips sealed to his. They were as soft as they'd been the first time, warm and yielding. He compromised with his kisses, didn't try too hard to dominate them. And it didn't take long before the kiss was deeper than she intended it. But soon the need for air arose and they pulled away from each other. 

 

"Okay," she said, panting slightly. "I feel like that cleared some stuff up." 

 

"Have you been eating Razzles?" he blurted, staring at her mouth. 

 

She flushed. "I've been craving them lately," was all she said. 

 

"Huh," he said. "Last time you tasted like cheese puffs." 

 

"I know." She raised her hands to her mouth. "That was--"

 

"I was into it," and he said it so quickly he seemed to startle himself. "You don't have to eat cheese puffs every time you wanna kiss me, though," he shrugged. "You can eat whatever you want, you can eat dirt..." He paused. "Wait, you _do_ want to keep. The kissing, yes?" He winced at himself. 

 

She toyed with the ends of his hair."Yes."

 

"And--just to be on the same page." He studied her. "The thing we cleared up is..."

 

"That we should try something out," she finished. "Real dating, this time. As Iris and Cisco." 

 

"Oh," he nodded. "Iris and Cisco." He looked down, seemed to get distracted by her toes, laughed a little, looked back up, studied her. His mouth stretched into a slow grin. A patented Cisco Ramon, squinty eyed, round cheeked grin and she had the sudden urge to kiss him again. 

 

So she did. 

 

 


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One Where Everybody Finds Out (Or The One Where It Was Totally Obvious)

"Okay, but are you sure my ass isn't too much in this?" Cisco said twisting awkwardly in an attempt to check himself out. 

 

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, I have a bias toward that ass," Iris said around a lollipop. A lollipop that  _she_ stole because  _she'd_ been stealing his candy the entire time and letting him think it was Harry. 'But Cisco, I thought they were for everyone,' she'd said. He let it slide, though, because she was fantastic and she had a bias towards his ass. She could steal everything he owned.  

 

"Okay, spin for me," she said, twirling a finger in the air. He turned. "Uh-uh, the ass is fine. Aww, and the vest looks really good."

 

He bounced a little. "You know what? Thank you. Nobody thought I'd be able to pull off a vest-I can pull off a vest." 

 

"You're working the vest, babe," she nodded. "Okay, now take it off."

 

He flushed, and looked around. They were the only ones in the Cortex. "Iris--Here? We couldn't. Could we? I mean--"

 

"Cisco."

 

"Yep?"

 

Her eyes closed when she giggled at him, then she said, "I just mean we have to leave now if we're gonna catch the 5 O'clock show, Dingus." 

 

"Oh," he blinked. "Right." He started unzipping the suit. "That would be a pretty mortifying way for the team to find out," he laughed. "About us, I mean."

 

She frowned. "I didn't know we were a secret?"

 

His eyebrows shot up. "You think they know?" He winced. "Do you think your dad knows?"

 

"Knows what?" Cisco tensed as Joe strolled into the Cortex. He leaned down to give Iris a kiss on the cheek, "Hey, baby." 

 

"Hey, Dad," she smiled. "Cisco was wondering if you know about us."

 

" _Iris_ ," he hissed. "Do you want me dead?" He remembered hearing about how Joe reacted to Iris and Eddie dating. Somehow he felt like this would be worse. 

 

Joe waved him off, "It's okay Cisco, I already know." 

 

Cisco blinked. "You know." 

 

"Yeah, he knows," Iris smirked, popping the lollipop back into her mouth. He suddenly became very aware of the tightness of his suit. 

 

"You told him?" 

 

"She didn't have to," Joe answered. "I'm a detective." 

 

"I thought I was being discreet," Cisco muttered. 

 

"Discreet about what?" Barry said, Wally trailing behind. 

 

"Iris and Cisco's 'secret' relationship," Joe chuckled. Wally and Barry, for their part looked bemused. 

 

"Wait, did _you_ guys know?" Cisco looked between the two of them. 

 

"Yeah...?" Barry said. And he looked a little uncomfortable, but not pissed, which was good. 

 

"Was it supposed to be a secret?" Wally laughed. "I mean, dude you came to her house at 11pm."

 

Joe's eyes snapped to Cisco's. 

 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He threw his arms out. "We didn't _do_ anything." Except make out on Iris' couch until their lips were swollen and he'd become so painfully hard that he had to leave before he embarrassed himself. "I really don't think we've been all that obvious." 

 

"Obvious about what?" Caitlin said distractedly, heading straight for the med bay.

 

Cisco pinched the bridge of his nose. "Me and Iris," he said tiredly, even though the words still made him smile.  

 

Caitlin paused, and sent a confused look over her shoulder. "That was a secret? Even with that dopey grin you get anytime someone _mentions_ Iris?"

 

He flushed and caught the look of pure delight on Iris' face. She'd be giving him shit for this later, he just knew it. 

 

"So let me get this straight," he started. "Everyone knew about me and Iris. And everyone _knew_ that everyone knewabout me and Iris, but me?" His head hurt. 

 

"Yes," everyone said in unison, including Harry, who'd appeared out of thin air. 

 

Cisco sputtered a for what felt like a full minute before Iris took pity on him. "Alright, guys, we gotta catch a movie," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him out into the hallway.

 

"Wow, you're pink," she giggled when the elevator doors closed. 

 

"How are you so chill about this?"

 

She shrugged. "We  _have_ been super obvious. 'Specially you. You wear your heart on your sleeve," she smirked, "and your hickeys in plain sight." 

 

His eyes widened and he touched his neck, and yep, he could die now.  

 

"But hey," she said, bumping his shoulder. He looked at her. "If it makes you feel any better, I get a little dopey when I hear your name, too." 

 

He cracked a smile. "Oh yeah?"

 

She hummed, her eyes turning into little half-moons as she smiled, nose crinkling. She was always smiling, at him, now more than ever. He liked the way she smiled, carefree and light. But like it was a gift. And it was. Every time.

 

He blinked and realized with the light flutter in his chest that it wouldn't take long for him to be in love with her.  

 

But he snorted and said, "Your mouth's all purple, you thief."

 

She stuck her tongue out at him. 

 

  -Fin- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Again don't be afraid to give feedback or whatever commentary. I love reading about what parts you liked the best. Thanks for reading!
> 
> My new tumblr url is beadouble-u if you ever wanna send me prompts!


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